Carol Moseley-Braun on Tax Reform

Trickle-down shrinks middle class & entrenches wealth

[Bush's] trickle-down economics has created a situation of embedded wealth, entrenched poverty and a shrinking middle class. That is the antithesis of what the American dream is all about. We're not talking about class warfare. This is not holding it
against someone for doing well. But as people do well, I think they have a responsibility to build community. That means getting away from an ethos of greed and making certain that the economy works for every American and that opportunity is kept alive.

Source: Debate at Pace University in Lower Manhattan
Sep 25, 2003

Roll back the tax cut to create peace and prosperity

Q: We've had a $1.3 trillion tax cut, but we've lost about two million jobs. Your position?

MOSELEY BRAUN: The tax cuts were absolutely a travesty and they ought to be rolled back. That's just very clear. Their economic leadership gives voodoo
economics a bad name. It is not even trickle down. It doesn't even reach most people, and not even the wealthy are doing really well with this leadership. Nobody is doing well with this economy. What I would do specifically?

First, roll back the
tax cuts.

Second, begin to invest what we have in infrastructure developments, for new technologies, to rebuild schools, to rebuild roads. We can make the investments that will give the stimulus to this economy.

I was part of the Clinton tax
bill that turned around the last Bush recession. We went into peace and prosperity in this country. I think we have to turn it around again, get away from war and depression and to go to peace and prosperity in this country again.

Source: AFSCME union debate in Iowa
May 17, 2003

Voted NO on requiring super-majority for raising taxes.

Senator Kyl (R-AZ) offered an amendment to the 1999 budget resolution to express the sense of the Senate on support for a Constitutional amendment requiring a supermajority to pass tax increases.
Status: Amdt Agreed to Y)50; N)48; NV)2